Freshly printed books were set up neatly on tables at the Literacy Academy of Plant City Monday, Sept. 8. Children excitedly picked out their favorites, going back to practice reading them in their parents’ laps. It was the open house for the academy’s new Plant City location, 504 E. Baker St.
The academy is a non-profit offshoot of Learn Tampa Bay, founded by Angelica Ibarra, to help families who struggle with English by teaching them the language and offering GED programs and homework assistance for children. It moved from its previous location on Walter Drive as part of a ministry center, owned by Trinity United Methodist Church. The church sold the property in June.
Ibarra said the new location is perfect. It is close to several businesses, an elementary school and a neighborhood store.
“Our main goal is to work with the parents, so then the parents are able to support their children with their own education,” Ibarra said.
The academy has two teachers for parents and two teachers for children with classes offered four days a week. Volunteers from around the community, including high school students, help with tutoring.
Ibarra started the Family Literacy Center of Tampa Bay in 2003. After it closed, she moved to Plant City to help families in eastern Hillsborough County. In July 2011, she began an academy in Plant City.
For her, it is a passion because she has lived through what her pupils have.
At the urging of her father, Ibarra dropped out of school in seventh grade to help support her family. All of her five sisters also dropped out, too.
“I do what I do because, yeah, I lived it,” Ibarra said. “I believe education is the key to achieving success.”
Ibarra never returned to high school. She ended up having two children. But, at 26, she decided to change the cycle. She entered a GED program while working and raising her young children.
“It was definitely hard,” she said. “You’re trying to cram so many years of education in just several months. So that was a huge challenge in itself.”
But, she persevered and ended up getting her GED. After, her teacher asked her about her next step.
“I didn’t know,” Ibarra said. “I didn’t know the answer to that one. I hadn’t thought about anything else.”
Once the seed was planted, it blossomed into action. Ibarra signed up for classes at the University of South Florida the same semester. She graduated with a degree in international studies and obtained a graduate certificate in non-profit management with the University of Tampa.
Now, she wants to help others. The main reason people come to the Literacy Academy of Plant City is learn English or get their GED. The second reason is to help their children with their homework.
“The parents come in, because they know they have to do something different with their lives,” Ibarra said. “My goal is to be able to give them the same opportunities I had to change my life through education.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.